United States Patent Application US2014164790 (A1) discloses methods and systems for administrative management of a secure data storage network are disclosed. One system includes a secure storage appliance configured to host a plurality of volumes, each volume associated with a plurality of shares stored on a corresponding plurality of physical storage devices and having a plurality of volume management settings, wherein each volume is accessible by a group of one or more users, each user assigned an administrative access level, the volume management settings are editable by a first user from the group of one or more users associated with the volume and assigned an administrative access level sufficient to edit the volume management settings, and the volume management settings are inaccessible by a second user from outside the group of one or more users associated with the volume and assigned an administrative access level at least equal to that of the first user. The present invention seeks to provide improvement there over by providing greatly simplified data protection arrangements while allowing free and a varied access without risk of information divulgence.
United States Patent Application US2014164777 (A1) discloses a remote device secure data file storage system and method of securely storing data files at a remote device, includes a host system having a database and a plurality of remote devices, each connected with the host system by a communication network. Each remote device and the host system is programmed with a time-based cryptography system that generates an encryption key (RVK) and initialization vector (IV) for encrypting and decrypting data on the remote device. The time-based cryptography system generates the encryption key (RVK) as a function of a parameter (PDPT) that is a function of a personal date (PD) and personal time (PT) of the user. The personal date and personal time of the user being a function of personal data entered by the user on the remote device. The personal date (PD) is a function of the date of birth (DOB) of the user and the personal time (PT) is a function of the time of birth (TOB) of the user. The present invention seeks to provide improvement there over by simplifying the selection of keys whilst at the same time allowing free and varied access without risking data disclosure.
A first problem exists in that a user's data through their commercial life is not available from any single website to be stored or accessed. Much relevant data exists for each of us. To give but a small sample, isolated files exist for each of us with regards to banks, insurance, telecommunications suppliers, utilities and national/local taxation details. To collect such data together today would require multiple logins to each company/product and potentially insecure passing of personal data between multiple suppliers systems and the website. The present invention seeks to provide bi-directional company-to-customer secure communications to a central personal data store while minimising confidential information travelling by interceptable data such as packet.
It is to be noted that the UK government is implementing a service based on the use of individual personal data stores for just such a purpose, using a product from the community interest company “Mydex”.
A second problem exists when a user may have several products from the same company, but, as the company or companies systems are arranged on a “product-silo” basis, it is often difficult to create a “single customer view” of all of the products a customer has. This often entails complex/error-prone matching of customer details across the systems. The present invention seeks to improve upon the situation by creating a “single customer view” by matching data in the personal Data store and multiple, disparate company systems, and associated challenge/response with the customer.
A third problem occurs in that a user often complains that talking to the right person in the company is very error-prone and that the user constantly have to provide the same security or personal data at each step along the chain until the right person is found. The present invention seeks to provide improvement there over by ensuring routing of support calls based on an individuals attributes (for example, high-end worth, or having a relationship manager) and with authentication from the personal Data store.
A fourth problem occurs when a user comes to purchase financial or other service-based products online, in that they often have to provide significant amounts of personal and identity/historic or payment details. Such information must be repeated for each supplier, although the data required from various only very slightly across each supplier. The present invention seeks to significantly reduce provision of personal data.
A fifth problem can occur when users may wish to aggregate all of their existing policies or products with one or more suppliers into a website. However, this often entails supplying existing logon or identity information for each product which is manually entered by the user. This is both insecure and time-consuming and requires the user to have set up for access to each product previously. The present invention seeks to obviate multiple logons and to reduce the associated data-transfer risk.
A sixth problem can occur when a user is in a physical retail outlet and once to purchase a product, they are then required to provide significant personal information verbally which is then entered by the agent. This is both time-consuming and error-prone, and is duplicated across lots of suppliers a customer may make purchases from. The present invention seeks to alleviate the data supply burden.
A seventh problem occurs when often users are members of a number of loyalty programs for credit cards (e.g. nectar), petrol, stores, airlines and a never ending list. However, it is often a requirement to carry physical evidence of membership of a loyalty program, as well as having to submit proof of purchase. Subsequent redemption of loyalty points is often seen difficultly after visiting a member store and hence the ability to redeem points at point of sale is wasted. The present invention seeks to allow loyalty transactions to be made employing a personal data store, allowing real-time loyalty offers via the point of sale. Also this would allow gathering evidence of purchase.